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The 2015 GENERAL HOSPITAL Fan Club Weekend is being held from Thursday, August 6, through Monday, August 10, at the Embassy Suites in Glendale, CA. Some events will also be held at the Glendale Hilton, so you'll want to book a room at one of those fine establishments!

The festivities get underway on Thursday evening with the GH Fan Club Weekend Kick Off Cocktail Event, and there are so many events scheduled (everything from huge group events to smaller intimate ones) over the course of the long weekend that we can't possibly list them all!

So click here for a constantly updated list of the scheduled events complete with links to more information and ticket pricing and ordering information. Then prepare to get up-close and personal with your favorite stars!

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After only streaming on the Internet last year, the Daytime Emmys are back on broadcast television! The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences has announced that the 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will air live on Sunday, April 26, at 8:00 p.m. ET on Pop. They also revealed that the Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be held Friday, April 24, at the Universal Hilton in Los Angeles. This year, the Daytime Emmys will be held at the historic Warner Bros. Studio lot on Stage 16, the home to iconic films like Casablanca, Jurassic Park and Ghostbusters.

"Our new partnership with the Pop network is an ideal platform to present our signature gala," said Bob Mauro, President, NATAS. "With the Warner Bros Studios as our venue, where so many great films and television shows have been made, coupled together with Michael Levitt, our executive producer, who created the 'TV Land Awards,' and has produced numerous live event specials including 'The Producers Guild Awards,' 'The Billboard Music Awards,' and 'E! Live from the Red Carpet' shows for the Golden Globes and Oscars®, this promises to be a very special telecast of the 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards."

"As a network that celebrates talent, we are thrilled to bring the Daytime Emmy Awards back to television for the fans," said Brad Schwartz, President of Pop. "Daytime audiences are some of the most amazing and passionate in all of television, and we are proud to honor the greatest works and achievements of daytime. Adding premium live events to our schedule is just another exciting way we are building Pop. We're going to have a lot of fun with this."

Pop, the rebranded TV Guide Network, is also home to the re-airings of episodes of THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL and THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS, so it's a great place to host the Daytime Emmys. Check your local listings for Pop, and mark your calendars! Are you excited to see the Daytime Emmys back on TV?

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"For someone who's been shot, dropped off a bridge and nearly drowned, you're making a remarkable recovery." It was as if Silas was channeling the millions of TV viewers when he told that to Ava, as she lie nestled comfortably in a bed in New York Methodist Hospital. That action-packed day a few weeks back was both unlucky and lucky for her. Yes, that string of events did happen to her. On the other hand, she mustered up the strength to swim to shore, wobble her way to a phone and call Silas, who had been nursing her back to health ever since.

Ava was stunned to learn from Silas that Sonny was pardoned and, as a result of his freedom, had obtained custody of Avery from Kiki. If that wasn't bad enough, now Michael was in on the tug o' war for the baby! Ava wouldn't have it. She'd never allow little Avery to be a pawn in Michael and Sonny's battle. But there was a teensy problem. If she were to return to Port Charles to fight for her daughter, she'd be sent right back to prison!

While Kiki, Julian and Morgan attempted to peacefully co-exist so they could plan a memorial service for Ava, Avery's custody proceeding got underway. Michael took to the stand to tell the court why he believed he'd make a better guardian than Sonny. That was a pretty easy task, considering that under Sonny's watch, his children had been kidnapped and shot. "I will dedicate my life to my sister's upbringing," Michael told the judge, to which GH viewers around the country shouted at their televisions, "She's not your sister, Bozo!"

Meanwhile at Shadybrook, Franco got a surprise visitor -- Olivia. Franco, however, seemed clueless to her identity. "You're Mama Celeste from the freezer aisle," he smiled warmly. Nope. Actually, she was there to lend her support, as they had something in common -- she also endured an overdose of LSD courtesy of Heather Webber. She told him about her hallucinations, including that she saw the devil. "He was Australian," she said. Franco replied, "Satan should be from 'down under.' Get it?" As Franco babbled off in his own direction, Olivia babbled off in hers. In the midst, she mentioned that Julian was the father of her baby, thinking it was falling on deaf ears. But was it?

After Olivia left, Franco got one more visitor -- Nina. Earlier at her court hearing, she went bonkers when she saw Avery, insisting that the adorable tot was her and Silas' daughter. It was pretty clear that she was nowhere near sane, and she needed more time back in Shadybrook. Shortly thereafter, when she returned to the mental hospital, she wanted to see Franco. She crawled up on his bed and quietly revealed that she faked being crazy so she could be with him. He leaned close to her and said, "You want to hear something even more super awesome? I'm faking, too."

Monday on GH, Sloan wants to cut a deal with Jake, Julian is not happy with Carlos, Ric resorts to name-calling in court, and Nina gives Franco what he's got comin'! Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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GENERAL HOSPITAL star Kirsten Storms (Maxie) has joined the cast of the new Web soap WINTERTHORNE! She'll be playing Selene, the younger sister of Martha Madison's Miranda. (Interestingly, both actresses have played the part of DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Belle). The stylish, sexy, wicked and witty Selene has been away from her family for a long time, but is coming home to take back what she feels is hers!

"Kirsten has been so lovely and excited to join the project," series creator Michael Caruso, who is also behind the Web soap DEVANITY, tells Soaps In Depth exclusively. "She's going to bring a really fun and sassy quality to the character of Selene. It's wonderful to see how excited the team is to work with her."

WINTERTHORNE is set to begin three weeks of production next month, both in and outside the Los Angeles area. Other cast members include Linda Grey as matriarch Joanna Winterthorne, and Kathleen Gati (Obrecht, GH) as Joanna's sister, Valentina.

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Let's all give a warm welcome to Hayley Erin, who jumped in with both feet and hit the ground running today as GENERAL HOSPITAL's new Kiki.

Erin steps in at a time when Kiki's life couldn't be more complicated. Dealing with the presumed death of her mother, Ava, and the threat of losing her baby sister, Avery, to the angry and bitter man she was madly in love with not so very long ago (we're talking about you, Michael!) is a lot to process for such a young girl. But all that is okay by Erin! "Kiki is such a relatable character and there's so much going on for her that it's hard not to feel for her!" the actress tells Soaps In Depth. "I'm excited to see how it all turns out!"

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ALL MY CHILDREN alum Josh Duhamel (Leo) will visit THE TALK tomorrow, airing at 2 p.m. EST on CBS! The actor will be joined by his BATTLE CREEK co-star Dean Winters to chat with the hostesses about their upcoming CBS drama, set to debut this Sunday, March 1, at 10 p.m. EST. For a preview of BATTLE CREEK, visit www.cbs.com.

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Helena hoped and dreamed that one day Nikolas would embrace his Cassadine instincts. Well, Helena, as they say, be careful what you wish for!

Liz must have torn off her surgical mask and latex gloves covered with Jake's blood, slapped on a coat, ran to the docks, and hopped on a boat for Spoon Island... just to tell Nikolas that Patrick successfully removed a chip from Jake's brain. Why she didn't just send him a text, who knows? Anyway, Helena looked more than a little worried to hear that Jake had not only survived the risky surgery but that as he lay on the operating table, he mentioned he knew who he was. Luckily for Helena, Jake went under the anesthetics before the big reveal!

After Liz left, Helena praised her grandson for not telling Liz that Jake was actually Jason. But Nik didn't lie to Liz to protect his grandmother. Quite the opposite. In fact, he made it clear that she had no leverage against him and no access to Cassadine money. With that, he had his minions cart her off to Cassadine Island forever more. Or, at least, for however "forever" means in soap lingo.

Over at GH, Alexis and Julian were staggered to learn that Olivia was pregnant. Julian, naturally, thought he was the father (and he was) but Ned jumped in and said that he was the dad-to-be. Alexis had her doubts. After all, Ned had done that same favor for her when Kristina was a baby and she didn't want Sonny to know that the baby was his. Ned and Olivia wove quite a tale of when "it" all happened and that they'd been sleeping together since Thanksgiving!

For the first time since being behind bars, "Good Luke" made an appearance and, the poor guy, panicked! By the time Tracy arrived to visit, he was totally freaking out. He had no idea why he was locked up but feared that something was very, very wrong. This time, Tracy believed him. She carefully told him that something that happened in his childhood triggered Bad Luke to emerge. The minute she inquired about what happened in that old house, Luke flipped and became angry and abusive. "I'm not afraid of you," Tracy said confidently. She was going to track down Luke's older sister, Patricia, and learn the secret of his tragic past!

If there's one thing better than seeing Nathan shirtless, it's seeing Nathan shirtless with whipped cream on his chest! A collision with Spinelli and a cup of hot cocoa outside Kelly's resulted in Nathan whipping off his shirt, showing Spinelli exactly what his competition looked like. When Nathan returned cleaned up, Spinelli laid it out on the table, telling Nathan what he felt for his baby mama.

At the same time, Maxie stopped by Lulu's with Georgie to discuss Spinelli's confession of love. When Maxie set Georgie on the floor to play with Rocco, the mommies said exactly what the audience was thinking: "Oh, my god. This is the cutest thing ever. Like, by far. They are epically adorable." Yup. That summed it up!

Monday on GH, Spinelli's confession becomes a topic of conversation, Nikolas' guilty conscience is talking to him, and Jake shares what he remembers! Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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For the past two years, Keith Hamilton Cobb (ex-Damon, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS; Noah, ALL MY CHILDREN) has been fine-tuning a one-man play, American Moor, which he wrote and stars in. After performing the piece in smaller theaters and workshops, the actor will soon be taking his show back to where he began his career: the New York stage! "That's a big deal," he shares with Soaps In Depth. "It will be the show's Manhattan debut. That's exciting to me, to be doing some of my own work on a stage in the big city where I started to do this theater stuff!"

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Congratulations to GENERAL HOSPITAL headwriter Ron Carlivati and his entire team for their win this weekend in the Daytime Drama category of the Writers Guild Awards! (GH beat out DAYS OF OUR LIVES for the trophy.)

"It's hard to pick three shows that represent the whole year of what you've done," Carlivati confided to Soaps In Depth immediately following his win. "I like to find something thematic. So we used the death of Patrick and Sabrina's baby. The first one was a Nurses Ball episode where the baby was sick in the hospital. The second one was the baby actually died. The third one was when Sabrina had not accepted that the baby had died.

"There was some other wonderful stuff in those shows," he added. "There were some great Anna/Duke scenes. There were just some other stuff that made them shine, for me, which is why we chose them."

This is Carlivati's first Writers Guild Award, and he tells us he plans to keep it in his study where he works and writes.

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Although love was most definitely in the air this Valentine's Day in Port Charles, no one's evening panned out exactly how they planned it. Old friends, new problems, big declarations of love and, oh, yeah, news of a baby on the way made Cupid's job more difficult than ever!

The fun began with the arrival of Olivia's chum from her Bensonhurst days. When "Mel" showed up out of nowhere to see "Liv," they greeted each other with a jubilant, loud screech and some ceremonial jumping on and down with joy. Did we mention it was loud? Anyway, the two old friends caught up, talking about everything from "under the bleachers" reputations to, of course, the state of Olivia's love life. She mentioned she was carrying a torch for Ned Ashton, to which Melissa shouted, "Oh my God! Eddie Maine?! Lois' ex?"

Unbeknownst to both women, Melissa's celebrity chef son was preparing a romantic dinner for Ned and Alexis at the Q mansion. Alexis' tardiness had him flashing back to seeing her in Julian's GH room. When she finally showed up, the tension could be cut with a knife. His admission that he saw her holding hands with Julian set her off on a "you're spying on me?" tirade which gave her reason to leave and return to, you guessed it, Julian. She sat at his bedside and admitted that she wasn't over him just yet.

Back at the mansion, Melissa rushed in to check on her son the chef and realized she was in the company of the man who was too blind to see that he and Liv were perfect for each other. What Mel said must've sunk in because he showed up at the Metro Court looking for Liv. His timing couldn't have been more awkward, as he walked in just as she was learning she was pregnant!

Spinelli and Georgie's arrival brought a gigantic smile to Maxie's face. She tearfully admitted they had an argument that she feared they'd never recover from. Prompted by that news, Spinelli dropped a bomb of his own, saying that Ellie broke up with him... because she believed he was still in love with Maxie! The thing was, Ellie was right! Opposite that, Nathan was grilled by an ADA about Johnny's escape and he admitted his girlfriend was partially to blame for that. Although it was obviously difficult for him to do, he played it down, lying that Johnny broke into Maxie's apartment and stole the cash and car keys.

Patrick was going to be late for his dinner date with Sam, but his colleague Derek stepped in. Sam and Derek chatted up a storm, with her, ultimately, urging him to make up with his girlfriend. When Patrick arrived, Sam greeted him with a kiss and all was well. Meanwhile, Lucas felt so badly for not responding to Brad's "I love you" with "I love you, too!" that he stood on the nurse's station counter and announced it to all who could hear!

Monday on GH, Olivia shares her news with Ned, Alexis has a confession to make, and Sonny receives a surprising document! Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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Maxie is going to see her daughter again on Friday, February 13, but Georgie will be played by a new little girl. And if the tot looks particularly comfortable in the arms of Kirsten Storms (Maxie), it's because it's the child is Harper Barash, Storms' daughter with husband Brandon Barash (Johnny)!

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As part of Fan February, GENERAL HOSPITAL is going to be full of surprises, and executive producer Frank Valentini and headwriter Ron Carlivati kicked things off by taking to Twitter to announce (with no small amount of teasing for the eager fans) that Rebecca Budig would be joining the show!

No stranger to daytime, after failing to land the role of Kelsey Jefferson on ALL MY CHILDREN, Budig went on to nab a three-year gig on GUIDING LIGHT as the second of four Michelle Bauers. But it was her 1999 debut as Greenlee Smythe that catapulted her to stardom. Teamed with Josh Duhamel as Leo, they soon became one of the soap's biggest supercouples. When she left AMC six years later to relocate from New York to Los Angeles, she had two Daytime Emmy nominations on her resume. After returning to the show for a year in 2008, she later signed on when production was moved to L.A. and remained until the series went off the air in September of 2011.

Budig is set to play a new character who Carlivati describes as "a real spitfire" and Valentini as a "Killer role." (Whether she'll turn out to be an actual killer isn't clear, but hey, this is GH after all!) "I can't wait to be a part of GH and to work with a group of very talented people!" Budig tweeted. We'll update you with more details on the character, when she's set to debut, and how long she'll be in Port Charles as soon as we get them!

What are your reactions to this surprise casting announcement? Who do you think she should play? Sound off in the comments!

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Things are about to get even hotter on NBC's CHICAGO FIRE thanks to ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Bree Williamson (Jessica), who will begin a two-episode guest arc Tuesday, February 10, at 10:00 p.m. EST. Look for her to play Beth, a potential new love interest for Lieutenant Matt Casey (played by Jesse Spencer).

Much like OLTL's Jessica, Beth is said to be a beautiful, easygoing woman who's got some hidden baggage that could cause trouble for the hunky firefighter. "Everybody there  the cast and the crew  was so much fun. I loved it. What a great place to work!" enthuses the actress, who shot her scenes just weeks ago. "And I loved being in Chicago because BethAnn Bonner (Talia, OLTL) lives there, so I got to go and see her."

Next, Williamson will star opposite Jason Dohring (VERONICA MARS, RINGER) and Corbin Bernsen (ex-Durant, GENERAL HOSPITAL) in the Hallmark Channel Original, Portrait Of Love when it airs on Saturday, March 14, at 9:00 p.m. EST. For details about the romantic drama and everything else that's happening for the talented actress, check out her Keeping Track feature in the Soaps In Depth issue on sale Monday, March 2!

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Bombs blew up all over Port Charles, and not only was Sonny in no way responsible for them, he risked his life to save the lives of others. He was a hero, a label Michael was conflicted to acknowledge. Dante encouraged him to do what any other decent human being would do: tell Sonny "thank you"!

Sonny was recovering from the blast in a hospital bed, as Carly, Morgan and Shawn stood vigil. Morgan couldn't hide his anger that his father almost died and Michael was nowhere to be seen. Still weak from the happenings of the night before, Sonny tried to get Morgan to cool his jets and not judge his brother.

Across the bay on Spoon Island, Ivy walked in on Nikolas, and she was ready for a fight. Not only did he stand her up at the Haunted Star party, it was his grandmother who was to blame for the whole nightmare. As she stormed out, Lulu stormed in with a similar rant. Thanks to some poorly chosen words on Nikolas' part, her voice raised even louder when he let it slip that he knew of the bomb before it blew. "You're not the brother I thought you were!" she shouted.

Meanwhile, Helena and Fluke were in adjacent jail cells, looking to blame someone for their fate. Helena, however, had a "get out of jail free card" in the form of Sloane, who, along with Mayor Lomax , was in her back pocket. Sloane drove home the point that if he released them, suspicion would fall on him, which would cause a domino affect that would obliterate their plans. Fluke agreed. The only way for Sloane not to blow his cover was to let the investigation play out as it normally would... with the discovery of who Fluke really was!

Back at GH, Obrecht told Nathan she'd gladly assist in the investigation. "All the answers you seek about Luke Spencer will be found here," she said, whipping back a sheet to reveal charred bones. "Among his remains." After getting the okay from Sloane to continue with the investigation, she tested the bones to determine their age and Nathan ran Fluke's fingerprints through the police database. Shortly afterwards, she informed Tracy and Lulu that the bones had been decaying at least 20 years, so the corpse couldn't be Luke's. Nathan rushed in with news of his own. "The fingerprints of the man we have in custody are a match..." he said. "... for Luke Spencer."

While Kiki was getting word from Sloane that they called off the search for Ava and she was presumed dead, Dante paid Sonny a visit. "What you did, took that bomb from Michael and jumped in the water with it. Pretty impressive there, old man," Dante said. "I'm glad you're alive." He gave his father a long, tight hug, bringing tears to Sonny's eyes. Cops interrupted the moment to escort Sonny back to Pentonville. As he was being wheeled out, Michael arrived to see him, as did Ivy. She towed along with her her father, the governor of New York. "You acted selflessly and with great heroism," the governor said. "And because of your courage, I don't think you should spend another day behind bars."

Monday on GH, Sam loses sleep over Jake, Helena tries to swing a deal with Tracy and Michael reacts to the news that A.J.'s killer is going free! Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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Over the past year, GENERAL HOSPITAL fans have been trying to figure out the identity of the man we dubbed "Fluke." Who has been impersonating Luke and terrorizing the people of Port Charles? Theories ran the gamut from the believable ("Bill Eckert never really died!") to the outlandish ("Brenda is wearing a Luke mask... and, um, lifts!"). But as of today, we know the truth: Fluke is really... Luke?

Warning: Stop reading now if you don't want to know the answer!

Last week, the pieces began falling in place when Dante was trapped in the Elm Street basement with what viewers believed to be a captive Luke. Yet when the cop woke up with the prisoner, what he actually saw was a rotting corpse! Today, it was determined that the body in question most likely belonged to the long-dead Bill.

But the truth came in the final moments. As "Fluke" languished in his cell, he admitted, "The answer's been staring them in the face the whole time. And not one of them cared to see it." Meanwhile, Nathan -- aka Detective Sexypants -- got the results of a finger print test which proved that the man in custody, the one who'd been dubbed Fluke, was in fact Luke!

What the... ?!?
Next week, the show will begin to examine exactly how Luke became Fluke... and why! But in the meantime, we want your thoughts on the shocking twist! Hit the comments and let us know if you were blown away, disappointed, more confused than ever... or a combination of all three!

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The pre-nominations have been announced for the 42nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards! Judges viewed clips of the performances and submitted their top 10 choices in each category, with the top 10 vote-getters earning a spot on the list. (Due to ties, Lead Actor and Supporting Actress feature 11 pre-nominated performers). The blue ribbon screening round is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, February 24, and will determine the final nominees in each category to be announced on Thursday, March 26. (The entrants for Younger Actor and Actress advance automatically to the blue ribbon round.)

Did your favorites make the list? Who do you think will take home the gold this year?

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If you didn't see Friday's GENERAL HOSPITAL, go to ABC.com and watch it! It's "must see TV"!

GENERAL HOSPITAL's Fluke has graduated from swinging wooden bats to strategically placing time bombs, all with the intent of taking out... well, you name them, and they're in danger!

Fluke and Helena -- dressed like she was in a revival of Doctor Zhivago -- were all but giddy with their plan to blow up the Haunted Star and the party guests on board. "Once the Haunted Star goes up in flames and my muscle at Pentonville make their moves, there will be no stopping me," Fluke said with an ominous grin. But things weren't going as smoothly as they hoped!

As the bomb ticked away behind the champagne bottles under the HS bar, Patrick and Sam arrived at the PCPD, to file a report about Jake breaking into her penthouse and stealing the phoenix figurine. Carly, however, was already there, turning in the evidence that proved Jake was the masked man who used Sam as a human shield to help Faison escape. Shortly thereafter, Nathan arrived at the Haunted Star, handcuffed Nathan and arrested him for a laundry list of charges, none of which Jake had a memory of committing.

As the cops walked Nathan across the pier and to their vehicles, Fluke and Helena hid. "It looks like your soldier toy is as incompetent as the rest of these dimwits," Fluke scoffed. Helena assured Luke, "But the police don't know about the bomb." She was right! And another person who didn't know about the bomb was Nikolas. When Helena learned that her beloved grandson was off to the party, she literally shook him by the collar and told him, "You cannot go to that party!" And when that didn't convince him, she had her goons take over!

Our Pentonville escapees, Julian, Sonny, Ava and Franco made a getaway in the stolen police transport van. Franco and Ava bickered the whole time about his adoration for Nina, which gave Ava the giggles. "You piggybacked on my escape for that horror show?" she laughed. Franco was not amused. Meanwhile in Shadybrook, Heather showered Nina with attention, giving her a manicure and adding a touch of blood red polish. Then she hit Nina with the truth: she was Franco's mother! Nina's smile dropped and fear slow set in.

Sam, Patrick and Carly watched as Jake was brought into the police station in handcuffs. He assured them that he had no recollection of committing any of those crimes. Then suddenly, he was hit with a flashback of seeing a woman in Dr. Collins' chair. He was about to tell them it was Helena when a cop interrupted them and announced that there was a jailbreak at Pentonville

At the same time, Julian called Lucas (who was at the party) and tried to warn him about Fluke but was cut off when the phone battery went dead. Fluke, who made an appearance back on the Haunted Star and planned to make a hasty retreat before it blew to smithereens, told Johnny about the escape. Remembering that the phone Julian used was actually Johnny's, he was easily about to track their exact location! Moments later, the van carrying the foursome found themselves being tailed closely by another vehicle. Was it Johnny? Whatever the case, Julian lost control of the van and it crashed!

Meanwhile, Dante lay unconscious on the basement floor of the Spencer house, with blood oozing from the bash on his head. As he slowly came to, he tried to make it over to a chair, assuming it was Luke. Blurry-eyed, he saw a bomb resting on the legs of the person sitting. When Dante's eyes made their way up to the face, he was horrified by what he saw... a decaying body!

Monday on GH, Sam wants answers from Jake, Heather wishes Franco were dead, and two bombs are set to cause massive destruction! Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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Mother's Day came early in Port Charles in the form of two convicts and a psychopath. If you missed Friday's GENERAL HOSPITAL, this is how it played out...

It all started in Pentonville prison. Sonny was telling Julian that the only way to truly protect their kids was to breakout out of prison, do what they needed to do and then disappear. Just as it was back in town when they were free birds, someone was eavesdropping and, unfortunately, that someone was Franco. He made them an offer they couldn't refuse: Let him use their contraband phone or he'd tell the guard everything he heard.
Meanwhile in Shadybrook, Heather was clobbering Nina in a game of Battleship. Distant and distracted, Nina wanted to talk, and talk they did! Nina opened up about the man who hurt her (Silas). Then she calmed and smiled, "I should've known from the beginning that Franco was the only one I could trust." Heather jumped, "Did you say Franco?!" Now Heather was listening!
Nina went on to talk about Ava, the coma and the baby she lost. Heather's attentive ear continued to draw Nina in. "Why couldn't I have had a mother like you?" Nina said softly. Light bulb moment! Heather gently put Nina's head on her shoulder, saying sweetly, "In here, I can be your mother. Come to momma." After Heather introduced herself as Diana Taylor, a guard came in and told Nina she had a call. It was Franco. Warm, caring and concerned, he apologized for the way things turned out. Nina told him that Shadybrook was scary but then added, "Believe it or not, I think I made a friend today." Uh oh.
Back in Pentonville, Ava woke from a bad dream to see Madeline in her cell. She was the last person Ava wanted to see. "I can't be with my baby and it's your fault!" Ava barked. Madeline turned and got all teary-eyed. "I remember that my... violently disturbed daughter... forced me against my will to do horrible... unspeakable things," Madeline sniffled.
Then she turned to face Ava again and smiled broadly. "Did you like that?" Madeline asked. "That's the exact performance I'll give tomorrow when i testify in my own defense." After Madeline was escorted back to her cell, a guard pulled out a knife and approached Ava slowly. "Lady, you got so many enemies," he said cryptically. "What does it say that you don't even know which one of them wants you dead?"
Across town at the Haunted Star, Luke apologized to Michael and Lucas for giving them a hard time about the abandoned Spencer house and gave them his blessing to level it and build a clinic in its place. In addition, he wanted to throw a benefit for the clinic right there on the Haunted Star.
Over at Kelly's, Kiki and Morgan were trying their best to parent little Avery when Dante and Lulu came in and joined them. Morgan mentioned that he still hadn't found a job, prompting Lulu to offer him one on the Haunted Star. Gratefully, he accepted, and they went to the docked boat so she could show him around. Once there, when Michael learned Morgan would now be at the party because he'd be working it, Michael had a hissy fit and turned down the venue.

Monday on GH, Shawn and Jordan open Bill Eckert's gave and are shocked by what they find, Franco is rocked when he learns who Nina's friend really is, and Ava joins Julian in a wild new scheme! Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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Kristen Alderson may be leaving GENERAL HOSPITAL, but the soap isn't losing the character of Kiki Jerome. Daytime Confidential is reporting that THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS alum Hayley Erin (ex-Abby) will be taking over the role. Coincidentally, Erin was replaced as Y&R's Abby by Emme Rylan, who is now GH's Lulu!

"As many of you know, Kristen Alderson has decided to leave GENERAL HOSPITAL and start a new professional journey," a show spokesperson says. "As a member of our ABC family since she was six years old, we will miss Kristen and wish her only the best in her new ventures. As a result, the role of Kiki Jerome will be recast with Hayley Erin. Hayley will start appearing as Kiki in late February. Please join us in welcoming Hayley to our cast."

Seeing as how Kiki is currently embroiled in raising her baby sister while her mother is in prison and possibly rekindling feelings with her ex-husband, it's no wonder that GH has chosen to recast the role. Where the character will be taken next remains top secret! Stay tuned!

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Nothing can ruin a romantic night in the boudoir with a smoking hot doctor like a smoking hot assumed-to-be-dead hitman husband with amnesia under mine control, who has been ordered to kill you! That said, Sam Morgan is in for a memorable night one way or the other!

Sam had set quite the atmosphere. Lit candles and a spattering of white roses (did she get leftovers from Nathan's bedroom or was there a sale at the flower mart?) gave the impression she was in the mood to play doctor with Drake Sr. But then she spotted a picture of her and Jason on the mantle. Feeling sentimental, she picked it up and pondered the evening ahead of her.

Then the door opened. "Mom!" she said, as Alexis struggled to wheel in her luggage. "What are you doing here?" Not blind to mood lighting and table set for two, Alexis realized what was in the making and promised to skedaddle. When Patrick arrived with a bottle of wine and a smile, Alexis did make a hasty retreat but was anything but nonchalant about it. Meanwhile...

Jake was making his way to Sam's penthouse to put a bullet in her head as Helena ordered when Liz spotted him on the docks. She invited him to join her and the kids for Kelly's takeout, but he turned her down. "If we spend time together, I don't think I'm going to be able to stop myself from wanting more," he admitted. And with that, he walked away, leaving Liz speechless. Back at the penthouse...

After a dinner prepared by Sam herself -- no Little Buddha delivery or inferno in the kitchen -- they were ready for dessert, if you know what we mean. Sam took Patrick's hand and led him upstairs. Seconds later, the front door cracked open. It was Jake, in a ski mask, holding a gun!

Julian wasn't thrilled to hear that Sonny told Shawn to tail Fluke. He worried about Shawn getting caught, which would put targets on the backs of their kids, just as Fluke had done in the past. Shawn was on the case and followed Fluke to the Spencer house and watched him retreat to the basement. There was a knock at the door, prompting Shawn to hide in the kitchen. Helena entered and Fluke greeted her with a not-so friendly, "What are you doing here?" When he realized she got in through a door that was supposed to be locked but was not, he frantically wanted to search for intruders. She talked him down and they left. Once the coast was clear, Shawn picked up a crow bar, intent on getting into the basement any way he could!

Trouble was brewing for the Falconeri family. Lulu was fighting mad when Johnny told her that Dante was acting like a caveman with a "stay away from my woman" grunt. She flew into a tirade when Dante showed up in mid-conversation to defend himself. He was just trying to protect her, he said. She told her husband that she and Johnny were back in business together because he bought back his portion of the Haunted Star. Dante had a workable solution to keep them separate -- she should sell Johnny the other half. That flew like a lead balloon!

Monday on GH, Patrick and Sam's clothes come off, Michael catches Shawn in the act, and Jake's mission comes to a halt by an unexpected visitor! Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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Starting today, you can watch the new pilot POINT OF HONOR starring GENERAL HOSPITAL alum Nathan Parsons (ex-Ethan). The Civil War-set drama is co-written by LOST's Carlton Cuse and Braveheart's Randall Wallace. The pilot is available at Amazon.com/pilotseason, and is one of many vying for a slot as one of Amazon's next original series. You can watch the show at that link and then take the survey to help get it produced.

And you can whet your appetite for POINT OF HONOR by watching the trailer below!

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Fans were surprised when Kristen Alderson (Kiki) revealed that she would not be renewing her contract with GENERAL HOSPITAL, and now the actress has finally revealed her reasons for leaving the soap. Instead of trying to express her thoughts in 140 characters at a time on Twitter, Alderson instead recorded a video and posted it to YouTube where she can personally explain herself.

"This decision is purely spur of the moment,"she says. "Kind of an epiphany that I had that I've been in this amazing little soap bubble since I was 6 years old. And now I'm 23. I've never done anything else. I've never pushed myself. I've never challenged myself to do other things."

The daytime vet isn't just talking about acting, either. She's talking about taking classes, getting back into singing, and anything else that might come her way. You can watch her entire video below, and then share your thoughts in the comments!

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A GENERAL HOSPITAL spokesperson has confirmed that Kristen Alderson(Kiki) is, indeed, leaving the show. Although a reason for her exit was not provided by the show, Alderson's real-life beau, Chad Duell (Michael), tweeted that "it was her decision."

Alderson, now 23, has been a fan favorite since she debuted as Starr Manning on ONE LIFE TO LIVE when she was just seven years old. Her exit will be felt by fans who watched the Emmy winner grow up before their eyes for the next 16 years on ABC Daytime.
How Alderson will be written off remains to be seen. Will Kiki be killed off? After all, her mother is on the Mob hit list and her boyfriend is the son of a Mob kingpin. Although killing Kiki would benefit Port Charles' bad guys, ABC could actually be pulling "a Robin" -- you know, saying she's leaving for dramatic effect, only to have her somehow resurrected when viewers least expect it.

Another possibility that has some fire behind it is that the role of Kiki will be recast. In mid-December, a casting breakdown was put out for a woman in her early 20s said to be "beautiful, dynamic, charismatic." At the time, the contract role caused some to speculate that it was a casting call for Scott Baldwin's daughter, Serena, or a newly-created daughter for Nina and Silas. But could it actually have been for Kiki?

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Fluke's ears must be ringing these days because just about everyone in Port Charles is talking about him!

While meandering around the abandoned yet fully furnished (laundry basket and all) Elm Street house where Luke and Bobbie grew up, Fluke chatted it up with Helena, who was calling from the comforts of Wyndemere. Fluke was set on getting the Julian situation "handled" out of concern that he'd spill what he knew, which was everything! Helena, however, had bigger fish to fry, like putting a cork in Sam, who was hot on the train of uncovering the identity of "our soldier boy."

Forgetting she was in Nikolas' home, Helena was surprised to turn around and see him staring at her. He overheard her threat to Sam and didn't like it one bit. Realizing his granny didn't want Sam asking questions about the gunman that helped Faison escape. Nik pushed her for answers, asking if Faison was impersonating Luke on her request and threatened to bring her down if he didn't like what she had to say. She shoved him right back. "If you do, you and Spencer will lose everything," she warned. "Just play ball, and your son will survive. He won't suffer. In fact, he will be far, far richer." With that, she handed Nik a folder containing ELQ stock certificates!

Meanwhile, Bobbie and Michael headed to the Elm Street house to scope it out as the possible new sight of the A.J. Quartermaine Clinic. The minute Bobbie stepped on the porch, it was like she was surrounded by ghosts of a troubled past. She shook it off, and they went inside. They weren't aware that Luke was bound and gagged in the basement, and Fluke was on a hostile rampage about her! Upstairs, one by one, Bobbie pulled the sheets off the protected furniture and she was flooded with memories, some which brought her to near tears, none of which brought a smile to her face.

And then the name Patricia came up again. Her and Luke's rarely mentioned sister. Michael asked what happened to her but before he could answer, they heard a crash in the basement. Was it a raccoon, a squatter, a poltergeist? No, it was Fluke taking a bat to a ceramic jug. "That felt so good," Fluke said, toying with Luke. "It's gonna feel even better when I use this to crack Barbara Jean's head open." Michael told Bobbie to be ready to call the police as he casually walked to the basement door to check it out. On the other side, a tied up Luke and a bat wielding Fluke!

At Pentonville, Sonny ragged on Julian, for confessing to killing Anthony Zacchara when everybody knew it was of Johnny's doing. Julian wasn't going to tell Sonny who was after him out of fear they'd go after his family. But prison wasn't the safest place for him either. Two of Johnny's goons approached to finish the job Carlos started. Sonny came up behind one of them, stabbed him. Then more surrounded them. Julian and Sonny took them all out, kicking and punching them till the collapsed on the cold ground. Sonny set the tone, telling a grateful Julian, "Zacchara is after us both now. So that makes us an ally... for now." But Johnny wasn't the problem. "I don't know his name," Julian told Sonny. "All I can tell you is that he has Luke Spencer's face."

Monday on GH, Helena has a shocking new task for Jake, Julian explains the terrorizing by Luke's doppelganger and Michael meets Fluke head on! Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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Hallmark Channel announced yesterday that when the second season of their original series, WHEN CALLS THE HEART, returns in April, soap vets Jack Wagner (ex-Frisco, GENERAL HOSPITAL; ex-Nick, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL) and Kristina Wagner (Felicia, GH) will join the cast as regulars!

Jack Wagner had made his debut in the last few episodes the period drama's first season -- HEART is set in a 19th century mining town -- playing forensic investigator Mountie Bill Avery, series star Lori Loughlin's love interest. At this time, there are no details regarding Kristina Wagner's character. But Season 2 promises that a secret from Bill's past could jeopardize his future with Loughlin's Abigail. Might Kristina's character have something to do with that? She'll make her debut in the third episode, and we can't wait to find out!

The second season of WHEN CALLS THE HEART will premiere on April 4 with a special two-hour episode.

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GENERAL HOSPITAL fans were surprised by news that Robb Derringer was let go from the soap considering that his character, Agent Sloane, had just started throwing off sparks with Anna. But now it seems viewers will get to see exactly what comes next because the role has been recast with soap vet Grayson McCouch!

Derringer shot his final episode on Friday, December 19, and should continue to air through to the end of January. Look for the alum of AS THE WORLD TURNS (as Dusty) and ANOTHER WORLD (as Morgan) to make his debut in early February.

Do you think McCouch's Agent Sloane will have as much chemistry with Finola Hughes' Anna? Sound off in the comments!

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GENERAL HOSPITAL's Bobbie struck a nerve in Fluke with the mere mention of the name Bill Eckert. Unaware that it wasn't her big bro Luke she was talking to but rather his dead ringer (just like Billy was) set Fluke off on a defensive, angry tirade? So who was this lookalike cousin of theirs? We'll fill you in!

Bill first arrived in Port Charles in 1991 as a crewmember aboard the Quartermaine's ship, SS Tracy. Harlan Barrett hired him to salvage it when it sank and was later asked to run a cannery alongside his daughter, Julia Barrett. After receiving an inheritance from his father, Bill and his young son, Sly, moved into an abandoned lighthouse. What Bill and Julia didn't know was that Harlan was part of a cartel that manufactured a substance that they planned to use to overtake the global economy! And where was it manufactured? You guess it  the cannery!

Because Bill was running the cannery, the cartel thought it important to bring him in on the deal. However, Faison, who was part of the whole scheme, demanded Bill first prove himself by killing Robert Scorpio! Bill and Robert had become good friends, so that was not going to happen. Instead, they faked Robert's death. When Harlan found out, he decided to off Robert himself but Bill killed Harlan first.

Later on, Bill and Holly became involved, and together they investigated an art heist. That romance quickly ended when Holly found him in bed with his former flame, Victoria. With the cartel having disbanded and its members either dead or having escaped, a mobster named Frank Smith was running the crime scene in Port Charles. Luke and Laura were up to their ears in Mr. Smith chaos and Bill offered to help them get out of it. Unfortunately for Bill, the fact that he looked like Luke cost him his life when Smith's goons attacked and killed Bill, thinking he was his cousin.

But did Bill really die all those years ago? Could the reason Fluke got so bent out of shape at the very mention of the name be that its his true identity? Or might this be just another red herring? Sound off with your opinions in the comments!

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GENERAL HOSPITAL fans, are you ready to get your funny bone tickled? Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) has something up her sleeve that is sure to do the trick! She will be launching a six-part original digital series on ABC.com called GENERAL HOSPITAL NOW! Part talk show, part sketch comedy show, part man-on-the-street interviews, part quiz show, it's got a little something for every soap fan who likes to chuckle about the genre they love the most!

"We have so much appreciation for the fans and this industry," Grahn says. "A friend of mine and I have this saying, 'I know that you know that I know that you know.' And that is kind of what I'm saying to the fans with GH NOW! It's a wink to them about soap operas. They are a good, wonderful form of entertainment and we are so lucky to be doing it and so lucky to be a part of it and so lucky to have this loyal audience. It's a celebration!"

"I wanted to do this show because I wanted to have fun, and," Grahn says, "if I'm having fun, hopefully, that laughter, fun and good, positive energy translates!" You can count on it!

GH NOW! can be found on ABC.com and WATCH ABC, which is accessible from ABC.com or via the WATCH ABC app, which is free on select Android and iOS devices via Google Play and the App Store. Its first three episodes debut on Monday, January 12, followed by another three on Monday, February 2. And you can watch a preview below!

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Were they serving oysters at Metro Court's New Year's Eve party or did someone sprinkle Love Potion No. 9 in the champagne glasses? Something must have been going on because just about everybody in the room got frisky when the clock struck midnight! Shawn and Jordan kissed, as did Nikolas and the chick he had met only a couple of hours before. Duke kissed Lucy on the cheek but then planted a serious one on her lips! A battling Sloane and Anna kissed, only for them to squabble about who leaned in first.

Ned and Alexis puckered up, as a nearby Julian and Olivia attempted to ignore them (and each other). And then they kissed. Boy oh boy did they! In fact, Julian went in for seconds! Ned warned Olivia that Julian was a tool, while Alexis accused Julian of being childish. She and Ned headed to a room, where they popped a bottle and talked about his feelings for Olivia and her feelings for Julian. They agreed to give their relationship another try and made love.

Meanwhile, Julian suggested he and Olivia also get a room, to which she replied, "Not if you were the last man on earth." But the next thing they knew, they were in a room, playing cards and downing tiny bottles from the mini bar. She extended her hand for a hardy goodbye shake, but they instead kissed. A lot. And fell onto the bed while ripping their clothes off!

Jake looked on as Ric and Liz kissed and Sam and Patrick did the same. Carly grabbed Jake by the collar and pulled him into a passionate smooch. She had a mini conniption when she saw Liz leaving with Ric. She hit Ric right between the eyes with a zinger about the panic room, and he tossed a doozy right back at her about Michael no longer acknowledging that she was his mother!

Carly's insults didn't effect Ric or Liz's libido because they retreated to a room and, in a passionate frenzy, tore off their clothes. The amount of time that it took Jake to pour Carly a drink is all the time it took for Ric and Liz to make love. And it was still better than Liz had remembered! She gave him back his watch and he gave her a hint that he'd like to make her Mrs. Lansing for the third time!

Sam and Patrick's midnight kiss led to her asking him to spending the night. He so wanted to but wasn't sure she was ready. She was ready, all right! With their kids taken care of for the night, they agreed to go back to his place. She told him about the sexy dream she had of him when they were in Amsterdam but how she woke up before "finishing" it. They were both getting a little hot and bothered, only for their phones to ring with news that their kids needed them.

While Carly lovingly told Jake all about Jason and offered him a hotel room until he got his feet planted, Maxie and Nathan were back at their apartment celebrating "the year of us," as he called it. After a little bubbly and some chatter, they made their way to the boudoir, which was covered in white rose petals and lit with candles. They slowly undressed each other, crawled onto the bed and etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!

Monday on GH, Sonny learns the paternity of Ava's baby and a tense moment arises between Bobbie and Fluke. Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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As romantic reunions go, LiRic fans must be over the moon! When GENERAL HOSPITAL's Elizabeth turned around to see her supposedly dead ex-hubby, Ric, standing there in the flesh and she flew into his arms, it looked as if they were headed for a happy ending. Jake, on the other hand, became the third wheel on a bicycle built for two!

On Friday's GH, encouraged by Liz's reception, Ric headed back to her place to invite her to spend New Years Eve with him. But first he had to contend with Jake. Ric was polite as any man would be face-to-face with his tough competition. In so many words, Ric pretty much said, "Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more." Jake took it like a man -- and, we might add, the way Jason would have -- by telling Liz he decided to move out so she could work on her relationship with her ex.
"You can never throw away their past," Rick Hearst says of the uber-popular Liz/Ric pairing. "It was a very interesting way for him to come back. You think it's going to be this picture perfect meeting but it was an overwhelming feeling of shock for both of us. They didn't know what to feel at first. She wants to just touch and cling, but this other person was now involved. And that person was Jake."
If Ric (and Liz) knew that Jake was actually Jason, multiply that shock by a million! Not that Ric would throw in the towel. No way, no how. Liz is the one that got away and Ric will never, ever let that happen again!
"Ric has a wish for [his relationship with] Elizabeth to be more 'storybook,' and there is that level of 'love of his life,'" Hearst says. "I don't know if a triangle is the direction that they'd go or if they'd unveil it. I don't know. But I'd welcome doing that. Whatever [executive producer] Frank Valentini and [headwriter] Ron Carlivati come up with, I'm really looking forward to yet the next chapter for Ric Lansing."
Next week on GH, who kisses whom as the clock strikes midnight? Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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There aren't many situations in life where everybody gets what they want, but we're happy to report that it does occasionally happen! During an exclusive chat with GENERAL HOSPITAL superstar Maurice Benard, he revealed to us that he recently renewed his contract with the soap! "It all worked out," he reports happily, meaning that while alter ego Sonny is facing some dark days at Pentonville, Benard will continue lighting up our screens. For details on Benard's contract negotiations -- including what ultimately convinced him to stick around -- pick up the issue of Soaps In Depth that goes on sale Monday, January 5!

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This week, GENERAL HOSPITAL participated in Disney/ABC's "Share The Joy" campaign with Toys For Tots by not only including the charity in a scene on-screen, but donating in reality, as well!

In the Thursday, December 18, episode, Rebecca Herbst's Elizabeth donated a toy to the Toys For Tots box in the hospital, but behind the scenes, the cast and crew donated toys to the Marine Toys For Tots Foundation. And on Wednesday, December 17, GH executive producer Frank Valentini and the cast presented the toys they'd collected to the marines at the soap's studio in Los Angeles.

The charity was popular among the cast, especially the younger actors. In fact, Nicolas Bechtel (Spencer) announced that he would take the $112 that he had saved in his piggy bank to help buy presents to donate to Toys For Tots!

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When it comes to a face-to-face combat for the title of Mob Kingpin of Port Charles, GENERAL HOSPITAL's Johnny made Sonny "an offer he can't refuse."
Johnny always had the gift of finding Sonny's nerve center and then giving it a painful and substantial pinch. The battling baddies behind bars had no choice but to share space from time to time, and Johnny made the most of it by pushing Sonny's buttons. But Sonny took it for only so long. He finally slammed the Z-man up against the cell door and put a shiv against his throat. "It feels like it's all about to change once I cut your tongue out and make it into a trophy," Sonny warned.
Sonny finally cooled his jets. "Sensible decision, Sonny," Johnny sneered. "I'm about to give you the chance to make another one." And then came Johnny's deal: Sonny's organization needed running and who better to run it than Johnny? But Johnny wasn't asking; he was telling. If Sonny didn't agree to it, he'd live to regret it! "If you don't, I'm gonna cut up your brother piece by measly piece," Johnny threatened. "That's right. Ric's alive, and I got him!"
Franco snuck out of his secluded Canadian studio with the baby rolled up in a blanket. When he reached the outdoors, Dante and two Mounties were waiting for him. Franco tried to make a run for it but ran smack into Morgan, Kiki, Silas and Ava, who demanded the baby. "You want her so bad?" Franco asked. "Catch!" With that, he threw the baby on the ground and everyone screamed. But it wasn't a baby. It was a bag of flour!
Silas, meanwhile, announced himself to Nina through the closed door. Hopeful but cautious, Nina opened it with baby Jaime snuggled in her arms. Silas said everything she ever wanted to hear from him. "You, me and our child?" he told her. "So what do ya say? May I please hold our daughter?" Nina handed him the baby. It was a moment of bliss... but only a moment.
Within seconds, Morgan and Ava rushed in. Morgan threw his arms around Nina to restrain her while Silas handed Ava her daughter. Nina flew into a hysteria. "My baby!" she screamed repeatedly. As Ava and Morgan left with the infant, Silas held Nina close. She bawled and beat his back until she finally calmed. Outside, Dante came up behind Ava, cuffed her and arrested her for Connie's murder!
Carly was a blubbering mess about Sonny's rejection and needed to drown her sorrows in something strong in the Metro Court bar. Jake was there and he listened to her every word, not saying much, just as Jason would have. But when he did speak up, telling her that Sonny sending her off was the only power he had left, her burden began to lift.
When Carly turned around, Carlos was there, staring at her. He was not happy that she knew Sonny was guilty of killing A.J. but she let Carlos go to prison for it. She went to walk away, but Carlos grabbed her arm and barked, "I want you to suffer the way I did!" With that, Jake grabbed Carlos' head and smashed it into a table, ordering him to apologize to her. Carly gasped in shock! She was surprised by Jake's actions but was relieved that he had her back.
Monday on GENERAL HOSPITAL, Carly confronts Franco, Nina and Ava become too close for comforts, and Sonny gets Johnny where he wants him... or does he? Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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The SYFY network invites you to head back to the 60s and then out into space in their highly anticipated, three-consecutive-night miniseries event, ASCENSION. In it, GENERAL HOSPITAL's own Cynthia Preston (ex-Faith) plays the wife of a man (Gil Bellows, ALLY MCBEAL) whose father had founded a top-secret mission on an interstellar spaceship that was deemed a lifeboat for humanity. But 50 years into their efforts to populate a new world, the unprecedented and mysterious murder of a young woman leads the voyagers to question their mission, and the man to want to continue his father's work.
"I had a great time working with Gil. He is an extremely kind and generous actor," Preston tells Soaps In Depth. "Though my time on set was brief, I felt like I'd made a friend." The mini-series, which stars BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Tricia Helfer as a dangerous powerbroker and wife of the ship's captain, was directed by Preston's fellow Canadian, Stephen Williams (LOST). "I really enjoyed meeting and working with Stephen, as well as Philip Levens, the executive producer/show runner," Preston offers. "It was a really relaxed, creative set to work on, and ASCENSION was a great pleasure to be involved with."
The three-night, six-hour event airs at 9 p.m. EST beginning Monday, December 15, on SYFY.

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In the current issue of ABC Soaps In Depth, as part of our annual Year In Review section, the stars of GENERAL HOSPITAL weighed in on the highlights of the past twelve months on the soap.

But of course, there was far too many highlights to print them all in the magazine! So read on to see if your favorite storylines and performances are the same as those of your favorite actors! (Then share your own favorites in the comments!)

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Faison looked pleased with himself for causing trouble for Sam and Patrick. The revelation that Jason survived the gunshot and that Patrick knew about it not only shocked Sam but it also infuriated her. Patrick tried to catch up with her as she ran out of the PCPD interrogation room crying. He explained that Victor forced Robin to do research for him or he was going to let Jason die. Jason did, however, die anyway. Sam pushed Patrick around as she yelled and screamed. She argued that maybe she could've done something or, at the very least, tell Jason that Danny was his son. Patrick begged for her forgiveness but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
Helena approached Jake on the pier with surprising news for him. She began with telling him how Patrick's wife, Robin, saved his life. Jake didn't remember it, of course. "You don't remember a great many things," Helena was happy to say. Then she dropped the bomb: he was Jason Morgan and during his stay at Crichton-Clark, he was conditioned to take her orders. And now, she had a job for him!
Back at the PCPD, Anna grilled Faison. She had her fill of him and told him so much. "No amount of torture or manipulation or lies you tell or people you kill, it's never gonna make me love you," she said. Oddly enough, he seemed to be okay with that, saying, "You should rejoice. The spell is broken." Anna was confused. He made himself clearer, adding, "There's no challenge to you anymore. You're not worthy of my love."
Shortly thereafter, Anna and a couple of officers escorted Faison out the PCPD's back door as Sam watched. Then, suddenly, a masked man grabbed her from behind!
Fluke toyed with Luke, who was tied to a chair and unable to fight back. "Unfortunately, the PCPD has already apprehended your imposter. And, typically for them and unfortunately for you, they got the wrong man," Fluke grinned triumphantly. If Fluke wasn't Larry Ashton and he wasn't Faison, Luke wondered who the heck he was! Fluke tugged at his own cheek, proving there was no mask. "I suppose extensive plastic surgery could explain it. Or maybe it's something more complex, something less scientific, something more... mysterious," Fluke said cryptically. Luke had plenty of time to figure it out while Fluke was busy living Luke's life!

In the prison weight room, Sonny was haunted by Michael's hate-filled words of rejection. Carlos approached him, laughing at the fact that Sonny was finally a caged animal. Although he was furious that he went to prison for a crime Sonny committed, Carlos was also a very happy man because he was getting out of that hellhole... today! But Carlos wasn't the only familiar face in Pentonville. Johnny was there, too! While Obrecht was convincing Britt to leave town with her and Faison, Sabrina was apologizing to Michael for telling him of her suspicion that Ava killed A.J. She also mentioned that she got fired from GH!
Monday on GH, shots are fired, Patrick has a heart-to-heart with Carly, and Sonny learns a thing or two about who's in charge at Pentonville! Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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Earlier this year, ALL MY CHILDREN's Cameron Mathison (Ryan) got the laughs as Joy's boyfriend on TV Land's HOT IN CLEVELAND. But when he returns to the network for a guest appearance in the Wednesday, December 3 episode of THE EXES, he won't be making friends. Rather, he's there to make a deal! "I'm definitely the straight guy [in this comedy]," Mathison acknowledges of his role as Haskell's lousy, long-lost brother. "He comes back seemingly to get close again, but ultimately needing a kidney!"

The former soap star says that working with the talented cast of comics, including SEINFELD icon Wayne Knight as Haskell, was the best part of the experience. "It was a whole week! We rehearsed for four days and then shot [live] it in a day," he relates. "It was so fun to watch these incredibly funny guys go through their own processes, and it was a very cool schedule. I loved it." Might Mathison turn up on the show again? "Yeah, anytime you're playing family of the regular cast there's always a possibility," he says. "Working for TV Land has been pretty good!"

The episode airs at 10:30 on Wednesday, December 3, on TV Land, but you can watch a sneak peek right here!

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GENERAL HOSPITAL's Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) has been teasing us for months about the upcoming abc.com project she's been working on, and "now" the news is out! Set to launch in January, Grahn will host GENERAL HOSPITAL NOW. Part talk show and part sketch comedy, the webisodes are bound to be a hoot! You can catch a sneak peek at abc.com, and then let us know what you think about the upcoming companion series in the comments below!

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Thanksgiving brings with it family reunions, lurking villains and, of course, pizza with the Quartermaines!

Julian made good on his promise to Alexis and brought her to Miscavige to see Luke. When the door was opened to his padded room, she was shocked to see her old friend drugged and constrained in a straightjacket. She took a good chunk of the hour-long show to unbuckle and free him while he told her of his doppelganger. Seeing Julian in the doorway, Luke chewed him out for being in on the plot and shouted, "Run, Jerome. Run like a rat!"
Helena showed up at Liz's but it was Jake who greeted her. Her face was familiar but he didn't know why. He stepped into the kitchen to retrieve Liz and tell her about the visitor who remained nameless to him. But when they returned to the living room, Helena had disappeared. Shortly thereafter, Sam and Emma arrived with Patrick and Danny following closely behind. Danny and Jake seemed to instantly connect, much to Liz's delight. Sam, on the other hand, looked a little uncomfortable. Or maybe she was just afraid of Liz's cooking.
Obrecht showed up at Wyndemere with "a noodle dish" and a chip on her shoulder about Anna. Little did she know that Faison was spying on her and Britt from a nearby window. As Nathan arrived to join the holiday celebration, Helena caught Faison lurking outside. She bossed him around, he bit her head off, and she went off on her merry way. Moments later, Obrecht was alone in the room when she turned and saw her beloved Faison in the flesh!
The whole Agent Sloane/Faison/hole in the ground thing had given Anna quite a nasty headache, which only got worse when Duke walked in her office. His release from prison didn't change anything between them. He had found out via a rambling message from Obrecht what Anna and Robert had done to Faison. Duke likened his lying about Sonny to her lying to him about Faison. Although the word "poppycock" didn't come out of Anna's mouth, that's what her response summed up to be. For the sake of their relationship, Duke could forgive her, but she still couldn't forgive him. They were over.
Carly didn't want Sonny to spend Thanksgiving alone so she paid him a visit at Pentonville. He assured her that the guards and the prisoners hadn't messed with him so his name must still hold weight. Even though she was conflicted about giving him bad news, she broke it to him that Michael moved into the Quartermaine mansion and legally changed his last name. Emotionally hitting bottom, Sonny told her to go be with her family and then, after sharing one last glance, he left.
Thanksgiving at the Quartermaine's was kicked off with Olivia cheerfully arriving with a humongous box of cannoli. Monica joined the party with the announcement that Cook 2 was hit with food poisoning so the entire dinner had to be thrown out. That meant one thing: pizza! After everyone began to chow down, Alexis showed up and announced that there was someone they'd all want to see... and Luke walked in behind her!
Monday on GH, Luke's family reunion kicks off, Obrecht reacts to seeing Faison and Julian tells Jordan who's in charge! Don't forget: 3:00 ET and 2:00 PST/CT on ABC. Be there!

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If GENERAL HOSPITAL's Lisa LoCicero (Olivia) wasn't already elated enough about expecting her second child next May, learning the baby's sex has her over the moon! "I've just gotten my head around the fact that I'm having a girl!" she beams.
"I was 100 percent certain it was a boy based on a wonderful psychic that Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) sent me to two years ago," the expectant mom says. "[The seer] said, 'There is a baby here that's trying to be born.' She had no idea that at the time I was thinking about having another one. She referred to it as 'him' and then explained his personality. She said I would get pregnant shortly before I turned 45... and she was exactly right! I mean, except for the boy part," LoCicero laughs.
LoCicero and her husband, Michael, have been trying to give their 13-year-old son, Lukas, a sibling for quite some time now, so the news was especially surprising. "Without going too much into it, it was sort of like the story that so many people have," she says. "Almost immediately after kind of giving up and saying, 'All right, one kid is plenty,' I literally got pregnant the next day. So we were pretty psyched."
Will LoCicero's pregnancy mean that Olivia will also be expecting a little bundle of joy? For the time being, GH is remaining tight-lipped.

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